Collapsible container and cellular partition unit



A ril 24, 1951' w. c. GEORGE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER AND CELLULAR PARTITION UNIT Filed 001:. 3, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

INVENTOR;

waltz/z 0 BY w u ,HlS ATTORNEYS FIG. I

FIG. 9

April 24, 1951 w c, GEQRGE 2,549,800

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER AND CELLULAR PARTITION UNIT Filed 001:. 3, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR;

HIS ATTORNEYS April 24, 1951 w. c. GEORGE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER AND CELLULAR PARTITION UNIT Filed Oct. 3. 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. l5

flllllrlllt'llll! INVENTOR;

H I5 ATTORNEYS,

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER AND CELLULAR PARTITION UNIT Walter 0. George, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Gaylord Container Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Maryland Application October 3, 1947, Serial No. 777,785

2 Claims.

This invention relates to compartment containers, particularly folded-blank cartons that are equipped with strip-type partitions which form cells for bottles or other articles.

The invention has for its principal objects to provide a collapsible container and partition unit which may be permanently assembled in collapsed flat compact form for shipment or storage and readily set up for use. Other objects are increased strength and durability, simplicity and cheapness of construction and ease of assembly and erection. The invention consists in the collapsible unit handled container and partition assembly and in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan views looking at opposite sides of a collapsed container and cellular partition unit embodying my invention,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the unit partly opened,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the unit in open or set-up position,

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are vertical longitudinal sectional views on the lines 55, 6-6 and 1-4, respectively, in Fig. 4,

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are vertical transverse sectional views on the lines 8-8, 9-9 and lfi-lil, respectively, in Fig. 4,

Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views on the lines H-l I and l2l2, respectively, in Fig. '7,

Figs. 13 and 14 are plan views looking at opposite sides of the collapsed partition member of the unit; and

Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of the col-,

lapsed partition as shown in Fig. 14.

My preassembled collapsible container and partition unit preferably comprises a sidewise collapsible folded-blank carton and a sidewise collapsible cellular strip-type partition therefor, both made of corrugated board, fiberboard or other bendable material. The collapsible foldedblank box or carton preferably comprises a one piece blank cut and scored to provide four 001-. lapsible side walls I with upper and lower marginal closure flaps 2, the side walls at opposite ends of the blank being hingedly secured together at their free ends by a strip of gummed tape 3. The carton is set up or erected by bending the four side walls at right angles along the score lines therebetween and along the tape 3 and is closed at the bottom by folding the lower closure flaps of the two opposite side walls inwardly at right angles into substantially endwise abutting relation and then folding the lower closure flaps of the two other opposite side walls into edgewise abutting relation over the two first mentioned flaps and adhesively or otherwise securing them flatwise thereto. sure flaps are folded and secured together in a similar manner to close the top of the carton. As shown in. the drawings, the carton is initially folded along its score lines and along the side wall connecting tape 3 for shipment or storage in collapsed fiat compact form.

The collapsible strip-type cellular partition for the above folded-blank carton is a twenty-four cell partition preferably made of eight partition strips; namely, two counterpart strips A, two counterpart strips B, two counterpart strips C and two counterpart strips D, said strips increasing in length from the strips A to the strips D. All of the partition strips are divided by substantially S-shaped intermediate cross slits 4 and cut score lines 5 and substantially C-shaped and cross slits 4a and score lines 5a into intermediate panels 6 and end panels 1. The cross scores 5 and 5a extend from the ends of the slits 4 and 4a, respectively, to the side marginal edges of the strips; and the number of intermediate panels 6 in the strips varies with the length thereof. The reverse loops at the ends of the S-shaped intermediate slits 4 form tongues 8 on adjacent side edges of the intermediate panels 6 and the C-shaped end slits to form tongues 8a at the inner side edges of the end panels I.

In assembling the partition, the eight partition strips are stacked or laid flatwise one on another with the two strips A located one at the top'and the other at the bottom. The two strips B are located one next to each strip A, the two strips C are located one next to each strip B, and the two strips D are located next to one another between the two strips C. The strips are oifset longitudinally in the stack in the manner shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, with their transverse score lines in register vertically. The strips of each pair A, B, C and D are preferably reversely positioned relative to each other so that the corresponding tongues of adjacent strips extend in opposite directions. With the strips thus arranged, thetongues of each strip are adhesively or otherwise permanently secured .fiatwise to the strip or strips in contact therewith, the tongues of .each of the intermediate strips B, C and D being secured in alternation lengthwise first to one and then to the other two The upper clo-.

strips in contact with opposite sides thereof.

The above described collapsible carton and partition unit is assembled preferably by arranging the carton blank with its side wall forming panels I all disposed in the same horizontal plane. A suitable adhesive is then applied to the outer faces of the end. panels I of the collapsed partition and to the outer faces of the tongues 8a of said end panels and the partition laid flatwise upon the two intermediate side wall panels of the flat carton blank, after which the endmost side wall panels are folded down flatwise upon the partition, thereby adhesively securing said end panels and the tongues thereof to said side and end wall panels. The meeting edges of the folded over endmost side wall panels are then.

secured together by means of the adhesive strip 3, thus forming a collapsed permanently assembled carton and partition unit which is adapted to be quickly and easily set up or erected merely by pulling apart the folded side wall panels into right angular box forming relation.

By reason of the attachment of the end panels of the partition strips to the side wall panels of the carton, the movement of these wall panels into box forming position causes the panels of the partition strips to bend zigzag fashion at right angles along their cross score lines to form a series of rectangular bottle receiving compartments or cells in the carton. With the carton and partition unit thus set up, the bottom closure flaps of the side walls are folded over and secured together in the manner hereinbefore described to form the bottom of the box, and the top closure flaps of said side walls are then likewise folded over and secured together to close the. top of the carton after the bottles or other articles have been inserted in the partition cells.

The bending of the panels of the partition strips along their transverse score lines separates the tongues from. the slits and provides openings 9 in both side edges of the intermediate panels and on the inner side edges of the end panels, the tongues and openings being located at the vertical corners of the cells and the tongues extending straight from one cell into another through the openings vacated by the tongues, The tongues are permanently secured flatwise to the members in contact therewith and lie stiff and straight in the planes of the panels from which they extend, thereby increasing the strength and rigidity of the partition and preventing the strips from curling or bowing and increasing the strength and rigidity of the carton. The construction provides reinforcing, strengthening and connecting tongues at the top and bottom of the corners of the cellsin the setup position of the unit; and the openings formed in the panels by the tongues struck therefrom provide both longitudinal and cross ventilation through the partition. The tongue andventilating opening forming slits are more cuts instead of slots and thus do not produce paper dust which tends to settle in bottles when they are placed in the compartments or cells of the unit for filling.

-Obviously, the hereinbefore described container and partition unit admits of considerable modification without departing from the inven tion. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible container and partition unit comprising a container having collapsible side walls and a partition having cooperating collapsible cell forming strips, said partition being interposed between said collapsible side walls with its cell forming strips secured thereto for collapse therewithinto fiat form and for movement therewith into cell forming relation by the movement of said side walls into container forming relation, said strips being-provided with cross slits and score lines extending from the ends of said slits to the longitudinal side marginal edges of said strips, said slits and score lines dividing said strips into a plurality of cell forming cross panels with tongues and openings along the adjacent edges thereof, the tongues of each strip being permanently secured fiatwise to adjacent panels of the strip or strips in contact therewith, the endmost panels being secured flatwise to the inner faces of the side walls of said container, said tongues being located adjacent to the corners of the cells in the set-up position of said partition with the tongues of the cell forming panels extending straight through said openings from each cell into an adjacent cell.

2. A collapsible carton and partition unit comprising a folded-blank carton having collapsible side walls and a partition having cooperating collapsible cell forming strips, said partition being interposed between said collapsible side walls with its cell forming strips secured thereto for collapse therewith into fiat form and for movement therewith into cell forming relation by the movement of said side walls into container forming relation, said strips being provided with cross slits and score lines extendingfrom the ends of said slits to the longitudinal side marginal edges of said strips, said slits and score lines dividing j said strips into a plurality of cell forming cross panels with tongues and openings along the adjacent edges thereof, the tongues of each strip being permanently secured flatwise to adjacent panels of the strip or strips in contact therewith, the endmost panels being secured flatwise to the inner faces of the side walls of said container, said tongues being located adjacent to the corners of the cells in the set-up position of said partition with the tongues of the cell forming panels extending straight through said openings from each cell into an adjacent cell.

WALTER C. GEORGE.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

Number Name Date m 380,960 Walker Apr. 10, 1888 657,285 I-Iansell Sept. 4, 1900 893,652 Reber July 21, 1908 1,120,752 Smiley Dec. 15, 1914' 1,137,732 Alfred May 4, 1915 1,653,633 Koeser Dec. 27, 1927 1,976,530 Verhoven Oct. 9, 1934 2,284,385 Freshwaters May 26, 1942 2,346,788 Rice Apr. 18, 1944- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 521,981 Great Britain June 5, 1940 

